System and method for voicemail acceleration

ABSTRACT

A system and method are presented for voicemail acceleration. A voicemail acceleration system, which functions to accelerate the experience of a user, is associated with at least one user device. A user may initiate an interaction with another user, wherein the device associated with the voicemail acceleration system detects that the interaction is being sent to voicemail through contact analysis. A pre-established message and/or a number of options may be presented to the user initiating the interaction, wherein the user may choose an option or elect to automatically leave a message and end the interaction on their end. The voicemail acceleration system provides the retrieved message to the other user and finishes the interaction.

BACKGROUND

The present invention generally relates to telecommunications systemsand methods, as well as voicemail systems. More particularly, thepresent invention pertains to the automated answering of communications.

SUMMARY

A system and method are presented for voicemail acceleration. Avoicemail acceleration system, which functions to accelerate theexperience of a user, is associated with at least one user device. Auser may initiate an interaction with another user, wherein the deviceassociated with the voicemail acceleration system detects that theinteraction is being sent to voicemail through contact analysis. Apre-established message and/or a number of options may be presented tothe user initiating the interaction, wherein the user may choose anoption or elect to automatically leave a message and end the interactionon their end. The voicemail acceleration system provides the retrievedmessage to the other user and finishes the interaction.

In one embodiment, a method is provided for accelerating voicemail in acommunications system wherein the system comprises at least an audiochannel connecting a plurality of devices associated with a plurality ofusers and a voicemail acceleration system associated with a first user'sdevice, the method comprising the steps of: providing, by the voicemailacceleration system, a plurality of options to the first user forselection, wherein the first user opts to leave a pre-establishedmessage to the second user; receiving a communication, by a deviceassociated with a second user, from a device associated with a firstuser in the communication system via the audio channel, wherein thecommunication is handled by voicemail of a second user; detecting, bythe voicemail acceleration system that voicemail of the second user ishandling the communication; disconnecting, by the voicemail accelerationsystem, the device associated with the first user; retrieving, by thevoicemail acceleration system, the pre-established message; detecting,by the voicemail acceleration system, a prompt to leave a message fromthe voicemail of the second user; providing, by the voicemailacceleration system, the retrieved message; and disconnecting, by thevoicemail acceleration system, the communication to the second user.

In another embodiment, a method is provided for accelerating voicemailin a communications system wherein the system comprises at least anaudio channel connecting a plurality of devices associated with aplurality of users, and a voicemail acceleration system associated withat least one user's device, the method comprising the steps of:receiving a communication from a first user of the plurality of users inthe communications system, wherein the communication is handled byvoicemail of a second user from the plurality of users; detecting, bythe voicemail acceleration system, that voicemail is handling thecommunication; handling, by the voicemail acceleration system, thecommunication according to pre-determined instructions from the seconduser; disconnecting, by the voicemail acceleration system, the firstuser; retrieving, by the voicemail acceleration system, thepre-determined instructions from the second user and performing saidpre-determined instructions; and disconnecting, by the voicemailacceleration system, the communication to the second user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a system for voicemailacceleration.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a process forvoicemail acceleration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of theinvention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated inthe drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. Itwill nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of theinvention is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modificationsin the described embodiments, and any further applications of theprinciples of the invention as described herein are contemplated aswould normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the inventionrelates.

A user initiating an interaction with a second user will have to waituntil a prompt or the answering of the interaction, whether the answeris provided by the second user, through voicemail, or another means.Voicemail acceleration comprises a way to expedite the process ofleaving a voicemail by a user, making an interaction more efficient forthe communicant through the automation of steps that are more timeconsuming. A user is thus able to proactively remove themselves frompart of the process.

In an embodiment, voicemail acceleration may be applied in a contactcenter environment. The acceleration of voicemail is distinct from anautomated dialing campaign. Unlike an automated dialing campaign, thevoicemail acceleration system is geared towards outbound communicationswith messages. In an embodiment, if a user wants to contact a number ofother users, such as 10, for example, a message could be sent to eachperson. In an embodiment, a personal message may be geared towards anindividual, whereas a dialer campaign does not allow forpersonalization. The messages are thus not according to a template, asthey would be in a dialing campaign.

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a system for voicemail acceleration,indicated generally at 100. The system 100 might comprise a plurality ofusers 105 connected to a communication system 110 via an audio channel106. While only two users are indicated for simplicity in FIG. 1, it iswithin the scope of the embodiments disclosed herein for there to bemore than two users. The communication system 110 comprises at least avoicemail acceleration system 115 capable of communication with devicesassociated with the plurality of users 105. In an embodiment, each user105 may have at least one device associated with them. The plurality ofusers 105 may have mobile telecommunication devices associated withthem, which communicate with the system 110 via an audio channel. Otherdevices might comprise non-mobile telecommunication devices as well,such as a landline or an agent workstation within a contact center, forexample. The communication system 110 is capable of performingcommunication analysis on the interactions. The voicemail accelerationsystem 115 is capable of utilizing the communication analysis fordetermining if voicemail has answered a communication. The communicationanalysis might comprise voice recognition or keyword recognition.Communication analysis may also be capable of detecting the means whichhas answered a communication for an outbound communication, such as abusy signal, a human, an answering machine, etc.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a process forvoicemail acceleration, which may occur in the voicemail accelerationsystem 115 shown in FIG. 1. The process 200 illustrates an embodiment ofa single communication, however, the system 100 may also be capable ofperforming these steps independently for a plurality of differentcommunications at the same time.

In operation 205, a first user places a communication to a second user.Examples of communications might comprise a call or a video chat. Eachuser is associated with a device such as a phone, a computer, or othermobile device capable of placing communications. At least one of thedevices is able to communicate with the voicemail acceleration system.Control is passed to operation 210 and the process 200 continues.

In operation 210, the second user's voicemail is detected. For example,the detection of voicemail may occur via communication analysis. Thecommunication analysis may comprise voice recognition or keywordrecognition, for example, “please leave a message” may be detected andassociated with a voicemail service or answering machine. Thecommunication analysis is further capable of detecting the means whichhave answered the communication for an outbound communication, such as abusy signal, a human, answering machine, etc. In an embodiment, thecommunication will go to voicemail or it is determined that the seconduser has not answered the communication. For example, the determinationthat the second user has not answered the communication might be basedon the number of rings or the length of the communication. The systemmay decide that voicemail is detected if the number of rings or thelength of the communication exceeds a threshold. Control is passed tooperation 215 and process 200 continues.

In operation 215, options may be provided to the first user. Forexample, a plurality of options may be provided by the voicemailacceleration system to the first user. An option may include to leave apre-established message for the second user. In one embodiment, theoptions may be provided as an interactive voice response (IVR) system.The first user may be provided with the IVR audio, which may be overlaidonto the existing audio for the communication. The existing audio mayhave a lowered audio volume. In another embodiment, options may beprovided to a first user's device such that the device produces agraphical interface to support those options, such as with a smartphoneor a tablet, to name some non-limiting examples.

In another embodiment, a pre-established preference may be set asopposed to making a choice. For example, the first user'spre-established preference may be to leave a specific pre-establishedmessage. The first user may thus be prompted as to whether they wouldlike to select their default or chose to be provide the full set ofoptions. The pre-stablished preferences might include conditions whichidentify an option. Conditions may specify contextual information aboutthe first user's communication, that when true, lead to the automaticselection of a specific option. For example, the first user may have apreference including a condition with a list of contacts and a specificpre-established message for those contacts. In another example, thepreference might have a condition that indicates a 1-800 number does notreceive a message.

The pre-established message might comprise an audio recording, a textindication that has been translated to audio, etc. Contextualinformation may include, to name some non-limiting examples, the numbercalled, a SIP address, identifying information about the second user,quality of service, time of interaction, length of interaction, etc.

The user ending the interaction and letting it pass through may decidethe message. In another embodiment, the user which ends the interactionmay just hang up or elect to automatically send a message to the userwith disconnection, removing the need for action from the first user.Control is passed to operation 220 and operation 200 continues.

In operation 220, the first user is disconnected. For example, thevoicemail acceleration system may disconnect the first user from thesystem. Control is passed to operation 225 and the process 200continues.

In operation 225, a message is constructed. For example, the voicemailacceleration system may provide the message selected by the first userfor delivery to the second user. Control is passed to operation 230 andprocess 200 continues.

In operation 230, a voicemail prompt is detected. For example, thevoicemail acceleration system may detect the voicemail promptaudio/tone, which may act as a signal to leave a message. Control ispassed to operation 235 and process 200 continues.

In operation 235, a message is provided. For example, the voicemailacceleration system provides the message. Control is passed to operation240 and the process 200 continues.

In operation 240, the second user is disconnected by the voicemailacceleration system and the process ends.

In an embodiment, after the first user has placed a communication, thefirst user may hear “please leave a voicemail”, or otherwise decide thatthe second user is not going to pick up (such as the communicationringing longer than usual). Instead of waiting on the line for thevoicemail acceleration system for a prompt, the first user may use theircommunication device to tell the acceleration system to use apre-established message, where the first user has proactively removedthemselves from having to wait on the system and being prompted. Theremainder of the process is completed after the first user has selectedthe pre-established message.

In yet another embodiment, the voicemail acceleration system couldreside on the first user's communication device, one or morecommunication devices between a plurality of users, and/or a seconduser's communication device. If the devices exchange compatibilityinformation, the voicemail acceleration system may delegate the messageconstruction/fetching of the message, detecting voicemail prompts,providing a message, and disconnecting the communication to one or moreof contributing devices to end the communication as soon as possible.Thus, the first user's device can stop participating in the process assoon as possible, leaving the system to finish the processautomatically.

In yet another embodiment, the second user may not be in a place wherethey can timely answer the communication and be provided the audiomessage while it is being selected. In this embodiment, if the systemdetected a second user's voice, the system could provide the second userwith a dynamic IVR system which informs the second user that a firstuser is in the process of leaving a message. Thus, the second user mayselect options from the IVR to listen to the message, auto-callback thefirst user, etc.

In yet another embodiment, the first user may not want to talk to thesecond user and may just leave a voicemail message (e.g., a voice chat,audio message, audio/video message, etc.) without interrupting thesecond user.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in thedrawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered asillustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood thatonly the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that allequivalents, changes, and modifications that come within the spirit ofthe invention as described herein and/or by the following claims aredesired to be protected.

Hence, the proper scope of the present invention should be determinedonly by the broadest interpretation of the appended claims so as toencompass all such modifications as well as all relationships equivalentto those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for accelerating voicemail in acommunications system wherein the system comprises at least an audiochannel connecting a plurality of devices associated with a plurality ofusers and a voicemail acceleration system associated with a first user'sdevice, the method comprising the steps of: a. providing, by thevoicemail acceleration system, a plurality of options to the first userfor selection, wherein the first user opts to leave a pre-establishedmessage to the second user; b. receiving a communication, by a deviceassociated with a second user, from a device associated with a firstuser in the communication system via the audio channel, wherein thecommunication is handled by voicemail of a second user; c. detecting, bythe voicemail acceleration system that voicemail of the second user ishandling the communication; d. disconnecting, by the voicemailacceleration system, the device associated with the first user; e.retrieving, by the voicemail acceleration system, the pre-establishedmessage; f. detecting, by the voicemail acceleration system, a prompt toleave a message from the voicemail of the second user; g. providing, bythe voicemail acceleration system, the retrieved message; and h.disconnecting, by the voicemail acceleration system, the communicationto the second user.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communicationis a call.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication is avideo chat.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting comprisesword recognition.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the detectingcomprises voice recognition.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein thepre-established message is retrieved from a database associated with thevoicemail acceleration system.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein theprompt to leave a message comprises a signal.
 8. A method foraccelerating voicemail in a communications system wherein the systemcomprises at least an audio channel connecting a plurality of devicesassociated with a plurality of users, and a voicemail accelerationsystem associated with at least one user's device, the method comprisingthe steps of: a. receiving a communication from a first user of theplurality of users in the communications system, wherein thecommunication is handled by voicemail of a second user from theplurality of users; b. detecting, by the voicemail acceleration system,that voicemail is handling the communication; c. handling, by thevoicemail acceleration system, the communication according topre-determined instructions from the second user; d. disconnecting, bythe voicemail acceleration system, the first user; e. retrieving, by thevoicemail acceleration system, the pre-determined instructions from thesecond user and performing said pre-determined instructions; and f.disconnecting, by the voicemail acceleration system, the communicationto the second user.
 9. The method of claim 6, wherein the pre-determinedinstructions from the second user comprise providing, by the voicemailacceleration system, a retrieved message to the second user that hasbeen previously selected by the second user.
 10. The method of claim 8,wherein the communication is a call.
 11. The method of claim 8, whereinthe communication is a video chat.
 12. The method of claim 8, whereinthe detecting comprises word recognition.
 13. The method of claim 8,wherein the detecting comprises voice recognition.
 14. The method ofclaim 8, wherein the pre-established message is retrieved from adatabase associated with the voicemail acceleration system.
 15. Themethod of claim 8, wherein the prompt to leave a message comprises asignal.
 16. The method of claim 8, wherein the detecting comprisespassage of a pre-determined length of time after initiation of thecommunication with no resolution.
 17. The method of claim 8, wherein thedetecting comprises a predetermined number of rings after initiation ofthe communication with no resolution.